The T-shaped writer

If you love to learn, this is for you… [The Writer’ s Life]( August 5, 2022 "Never set a child afloat on the flat sea of life with only one sail to catch the wind." – D. H. Lawrence Hey {NAME}, I'll just come right out and say it … We're living in one of the GREATEST times to be a writer! Not only are there more projects and more prospective clients than ever before … … but you also have so many unique and fulfilling ways to create the writer's life YOU want. Just "pick and choose" the projects and paths that fit your goals, your personality, and your current lifestyle. BUT … If you're the kind of person who loves it all … who has a hard time picking just one niche or specialty … 🙋 … and if you're the kind of person who loves learning … who wants ultimate freedom over their lifestyle and control over their time, become sought-after, and have their pick of the "cream of the crop" clients … 🙋 … then perhaps the BIGGEST opportunity out there today for you — and any aspiring writer — is to become "T-Shaped." Wait, what? Let me explain … The reason there's so much opportunity in today's digital marketing landscape for you as a writer is because your clients have lots of ways to reach their prospects and customers. They have social media, paid ads, videos, email, organic search (search engine optimization), and more. It's a LOT to stay on top of and know what's working, what's not, etc. in each of these marketing channels. This creates a wide and massive opportunity for YOU. It's what I referred to earlier as The "T-Shaped" Writer. Simply put, a T-shaped writer is capable in many areas of digital marketing AND an expert in at least ONE of them. So, that might mean that you've got expertise in something specific … say writing direct-response copy … … but you're ALSO competent at other writing projects such as content, SEO, or even User Experience (UX). So where does the "T" come from? Here's a simple way to visualize it: Take a look at the image below and notice how the horizontal line of the "T" represents a broad knowledge of many different-but-related subjects and skills. [T Copywriter Chart] This particular "T-Shaped" writer understands writing for UX, Content, Direct-Response, Social Media, and SEO. But their CORE skillset — the vertical column that makes up the "T" shape — is their deep expertise. In this case, it's direct-response. This writer is familiar with all aspects of direct-response marketing, including Paid Ads, Landing Pages, Emails, and Sales Copy. Now, compare that to most other writers not actively taking advantage of this opportunity of becoming T-shaped. They look like this: [I Copywriter Chart] They're missing ALL that knowledge in those other areas … That also means they're missing out on so many more opportunities available to writers that are T-shaped. T-Shaped writers REALLY stand out to clients … As a T-shaped writer you can communicate better with your clients … your wide knowledge base means you can come up with tons of creative new ideas to test … … you understand how your copy fits into the overall marketing picture, and more. As someone who hires writers all the time, I can tell you firsthand this is the kind of writer I keep around! When a marketer has a writer who understands how the other pieces of copy and content work … and can even tackle some of them, even at a basic level … the marketer will usually pay for as much of your time as you're willing to give. Just ask any of my go-to writers! These writers can usually communicate better with the marketing team … the design team … the web team … They can make sure their copy is perfectly matched for each stage of the buyer's journey … And as a byproduct, everything moves along without a hitch and their copy ends up generating better results. This is why T-Shaped copywriters often get paid higher fees. It's why they are often the ones with retainers (because they bring so much value clients don't want to let them go!) And it's why they have a lot more freedom — they don't have to work harder or longer hours … because their broad knowledge base and skills are a big part of the value they bring to the table. Now, I could write a whole article on how to acquire all these skills. But this article is already getting pretty long. 😉 So that said, here are my top 3 tips for getting started immediately to become an in-demand T-Shaped writer … 1) Be curious. This is where it all starts. You need to LOVE learning and be curious about the world around you. So don't just focus on learning copywriting. Make it a point to learn other disciplines, like UX, direct-response methods of testing, paid advertising, and more. The more you do this, the more you'll start to see and understand HOW your copy intersects with each of these disciplines … and like Neo in The Matrix, you'll instantly see how to make your copy better because of it. 2) Learn by doing. One of the best ways to become a T-shaped writer is to experience first-hand what your client has to go through (although it's not for the faint of heart!). You can do this by starting your own email list (to promote your writing services or to promote other people's products and services you believe in). You'll experience what it takes to get someone to "opt-in" to your list … you'll see what it takes to engage your email list and get them to respond … you'll see how to handle feedback … how to craft a great offer … how to make sure your emails get delivered in the first place … and read. (Side note: By doing this, you'll generate another income stream for your writing business. But we'll tackle that another day!) 3) Read about other industries and topics outside of marketing. One of the hallmarks of successful T-shaped writers is their creativity. At its core, creativity is connecting two things that others haven't thought about bringing together. Like Steve Jobs combining the personal computer and the phone to create the world's first Smartphone. You can be just as creative. Start by reading plentifully — biographies, history, even books on topics like gardening or about industries like manufacturing … things that are outside your wheelhouse. The more widely "read" you are, the more material your brain has to make those unlikely connections that make you look like a genius to your clients when you offer them an idea that's actionable and can instantly boost their results. And finally … if you REALLY want to immerse yourself in becoming a T-Shaped writer … I highly recommend you join the [upcoming direct-response marketing certification training]( with Sandy Franks — AWAI's Senior Copy Chief. She's a direct-response marketing and copywriting legend in our industry, and one of the best teachers I've ever encountered in my 20+ years of learning copy. And her goal is to give you the "broad-based" knowledge you need to begin your journey in transforming yourself into a T-shaped writer. Sandy will show you how to envision, plan, and even write a full digital marketing campaign. You'll learn about all the pieces a client typically needs — from the ad … to the landing page the prospect sees … to the welcome emails … to even the headline and lead on the sales page a prospect might see later on. And, you'll fully understand the buyer's journey … and how it connects with each of the pieces of copy you might be tasked to write. You'll even learn the language of direct response like return on investment (ROI), breakeven, acquisition costs, and so much more. In all, it's a complete soup-to-nuts education in direct-response. It's the fastest way I know to get up to speed and start turning yourself into a valuable and highly sought-after "T-Shaped" writer. You can get all the details by [clicking here](. Today's your last chance to get in, so definitely check it out now! Of course, how you get there is your choice to make … But no matter what, remember … Start learning. Start reading. Do what you can to increase your knowledge. Go WIDE. And soon enough, you'll be the kind of writer clients never want to let go of! Here's to your T-shaped future AND a great weekend, [Rebecca Matter’ s signature] Rebecca Last Chance! I Will Personally Lead You Through Setting Yourself Up as a Professional Writer — in Just 5 Days! So far this year, the demand for copywriters has been through the roof. It's THE perfect time to finally kick off your new life as a paid writer. So my team and I are gearing up to focus on getting YOU up and running as a writer by next Friday. Join our LIVE five-day "Launch Party" and get five days of access to me, my training team, and some of the top writers in the industry! All coming together in this unique time to help YOU launch your writing career fast! BUT today is the very last day to get in. [The party has already started — get in right now here!]( What's Hot at AWAI … 👉 The "T-Shaped" writer is versatile across the Copy-Content Continuum. [More on that here!]( 😎 Want to become INDISPENSABLE to any company? [Check this out.]( ⭐ [Here's Why, If You Know How to Write Direct Response Copy, Your Future Is Golden.]( 🤔 Want to be a paid writer but you keep putting it off? [Watch this.]( Off To a Great Start! [Social media post about getting first paid writing assignment] $500 for your first assignment ain't bad, Shelley! Keep it up. Can't wait to hear where your writing takes you. 🙂 Have your own story to share? Email us at mysuccess@awai.com, or [post it over in the Facebook group](, so we can celebrate your win too! URGENT: This Is Too BIG to Ignore! ALL copywriters need to hear this … Last year, companies spent a record $521 billion on digital marketing, driving demand for skilled copywriters through the roof. But that's just the start … By the end of 2022, they're projected to spend $81 billion MORE! How can you take advantage? By making sure you know what's working in the industry … the latest trends … and what marketers are hiring for today … And there's one place you can get it all … [Discover More Here]( Featured Writing Jobs Sr Medical Writer – Syneos Health Full-time, Remote Manages medical writing activities associated with individual studies, coordinating medical writing activities within and across departments with minimal supervision. --------------------------------------------------------------- Strategic B2B Copywriter – IGT Full-time, Remote The Copywriter will play an integral role in the creation of brochures, product sheets and proposals material and keeping it aligned with the vision of all stakeholders. --------------------------------------------------------------- Copywriter – Heuristic Solutions Full-time, Rosslyn, VA As our copywriter, you are central to producing well-crafted content to tell our story. --------------------------------------------------------------- You can find all of these jobs and thousands more on [WritersWanted.com](. 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